Pendon Museum - MSWJR Line Running Weekend

[PDS]

The message below was published a couple of weeks ago under the 'Scaleforum Multi-Venue Events' thread and may have been missed by some, but this is to confirm the event is taking place this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday. Petrol/diesel permitting it is hoped that many members may wish to visit Pendon for a rare opportunity to view a sequence of trains running along the Vales MSWJR line.

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Discount for Society Members for Scaleforum MSWJ Railway - Special Running Weekend, 2nd / 3rd October 2021

It is sixty years ago - September 1961 - since the Midland and South-Western Junction Railway route between Cheltenham and Andover Junction closed for both freight and passenger traffic.

Originally, we had hoped to formally open our representation of this line to mark this occasion, but this will be postponed into the future. However, we have a number of trains ready to roll, and the infrastructure, if not the scenic surround, is also tried and tested. We therefore intend to run the line over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of 2nd / 3rd October; for us this will be our only Sunday opening this year.

As well as marking the anniversary of this sad occasion we are also offering a 50% discounted entry to card-carrying members of the Scalefour Society, as a contribution to their planned Multi-Event Scaleforum (actually the weekend before, but that date had conflicted with other activities, both at Pendon and elsewhere). This will be the only time in 2021 that members of the public will be able to see this line in action at Pendon.

This independent-minded concern was always a thorn in the side of the GWR and saw traffic from its' great rivals, the Midland and the South Western Railways use the line to penetrate the heart of GWR territory to reach Southampton. The line was heavily used in both the First and Second World Wars but was run down in the 1950s as it lost traffic to the roads and railways and fell from political favour.

Pendon Museum is near Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX1 4QD

[bogusman]

Hi Peter
Thanks for a great day enjoyed every minute of it since have not seen layouts for nearly 2 years so jumped at the chance to go to Pendon for half price. A really good bunch of volunteers very friendly and helpful. Seeing the MSWJ section running was a real treat. The only downside was I thought more members would of taken the opportunity to go as there were only two of us there it is a great place to have a natter over a cuppa. Maybe the lack of members were down to the weather or fuel shortage. Maybe more will turn up tomorrow if they don't it will be their loss.

Peter

[GarethSmith]

Thank you for this thread. I had seen the note in the S4 News but was uncertain whether to go. Having read the comments here I went along this afternoon and spent a very enjoyable couple of hours or so at Pendon. As I guess for many others I had not been there since well pre-Covid. A chance to see recent developments, along with the attraction of trains on the MSWJR line and informative chats with the volunteers there made for a very good visit.

[bogusman]

Hi Gareth
Glad you had a good visit. I hope you found it as insperational as I did. It was nice to see the railway lost in the surrounding countryside

Peter